40 
Elasmus atratus n. sp.' 
The most abundant of the parasites of Apanteles hyphantrice was, dur- 
ing the winter of 1S9G-97, this curious little Ghalcidid, which was men- 
tioned under its manuscript name in the writer's article entitled "The 
habits of Elasmus," Insect Life, Vol. IV, pages 253-254, as being a com- 
mon parasite of Apanteles hyphantrice in the District of Columbia. No 
specimen of this insect was reared in 1S95 and none in 189G until the 
end of December. December 13 a number of cocoons of the Apanteles 
were found in the cocoon mass of the Orgyia, and all were cut open, as 
described under the section on Apanteles, for the purpose of ascertain- 
ing the hibernating condition of the Apanteles. In nearly every 
cocoon thus examined were found from two to four small black pupae, 
one of which is shown at tig. 21. These pupa3 were at once seen to be 
Fig. 21. — Elasmus atratus , 
Adult mah' at left, with hind leg and female antenna, and with pupa at 
right— enlarged (original). 
different from the pupa' of Dfbrachys, and were placed in a vial to rear 
the adults. The adults issued December 29 to January 15, 1897, and 
proved to be Elasmus atratus. The date of issuing is doubtless 
abnormal, since the specimens were purposely kept in a warm room to 
force early issuing in order to determine the species as soon as possi- 
ble. Normally, they probably would not have issued until spring. 
Asecodes albitarsis Ashmead. 
This insect plays in the economy of the Orgyia the apparently unusual 
role of a tertiary parasite. Its immediate host is Dibrachys uoucheanus. 
We have secured the pupa of the Dibrachys under circumstances which 
render its identity positive, and it has been carefully illustrated at fig. 
186. The identity of this pupa having been ascertained, the actual 
1 Described in the appendix, page 56. 
